Wedge sealing of car doors



Dec. 9, 1958 B. H. FORD 2,863,402

WEDGE SEALING OF CAR DOORS Filed May 29, 1956 INVENTOR- AT RNEVS.

United States Patent WEDGE SEALING 0F CAR DOORS Barton H. Ford, Omaha,Nebr.

Application May 29, 1956, Serial No. 588,031

3 Claims. (Cl. 105-424) This invention relates to the wedge sealing ofcar doors, and more particularly to the sealing of dropbottom doorsemployed with gondola cars, and the like, which carry granularcommodities.

The sealing of drop-bottom doors on railway cars such as gondola cars,hopper cars, etc., to prevent the loss of granular or flowing materials,has long presented a problem. The car doors and frames cooperatingtherewith are subjected to hard usage and uneven surfaces occur aboutthe edges of the door and frame which are not effectively sealed bysimply closing the door. Attempts to seal the space between the door andthe frame, or between two doors, are unsatisfactory because any sealingmaterial tends to drop from the door and while the operator is workingat one side of the door edge, the material placed in the other sidedrops away. Even after the tedious operation of getting the packingmaterial in place, it is found that the packing often becomes dislodgedduring transit and valuable cargo material is lost.

An object of the present invention is to provide an extremely simplemethod and means whereby sealing is accomplished in a certain manner andwith a minimum of effort while at the same time the sealing material isheld against dislodgement during transit. Another object is to provide,in combination with the drop-door of a car, a resilient sealing wedgehaving wings which lock the wedge in position, while at the same timeyielding under pressure during the sealing operation. Yet another objectis to provide, in combination with dropdoors, sealing wedges effectivefor sealing not only the bottom edge portion of the door, but also theside edge portions to effect a complete seal about the moving edgeportions of the door. Other specific objects and advantages will appearasthe specification proceeds.

The invention is shown, in illustrative embodiments, by the accompanyingdrawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car equipped withdrop-bottom doors with which my invention is employed; Fig. 2, anenlarged sectional view showing a hinged door and a sealing wedge placedbetween the door and the door frame when the door is in partially andalmost closed position; Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing thedoor moved to closed position and the compressing of the sealing wedge;Fig. 4, a longitudinal view of the sealing wedge showing the centrallongitudinal scoring therein; Fig. 5, a side edge view of the wedgeshown in Fig. 4; and Fig. 6, a broken sectional view showing how thewedge may be provided with an intermediate recess for the receiving of achannel bar, or other obstruction.

7 2,863,402 Fatented Dec. 9, 1958 hinged doors for controlling the flowof granular material from the cars. The car indicated by the numeral 10is merely set out as an example of drop-bottom cars or cars equippedwith doors, and it will be understood that the invention as set outherein is applicable to various 7 types of drop-bottom cars or otherdoor panel-controlled vehicles.

in the specific illustration given, the door panel 11 is hinged uponhinge rod 13, and suitable mechanism (not shown) is provided for theswinging of the door to open and closed positions. In the actualstructures, gearoperated mechanism and other mechanism is provided forthe swinging of the door to open and closed positions, but since suchmechanism is well known, a description herein is believed unnecessary.

In the specific illustration given, it will be noted that there arethree side edges to be sealed. There is the transverse bottom edge ofthe door 11 which is to be sealed, and there are the side edges of thedoor 11 which are to be sealed. For each of these edges, I provide aresilient wedge 14 which is V-shaped and which is bent upon itself toprovide a point 15 and resilient side wings 16, the structure being suchthat the side wings are normally urged laterally to the positionsillustrated best in Fig. 2.

I have found that a very satisfactory and effective wedge can beprovided by utilizing corrugated paper, as illustrated in Figs. 4- and5. The paper comprises a central core 17, with the fiuting runningtransversely of the strip, and with an outer liner 18 and an inner paperliner 19. The strip is scored along a central longitudinal line,indicated by the numeral 20 in Fig. 4, the scoring being efiectedpreferably by running a scoring wheel along the border so as to crushthe inner core 17 along the score line, the outer and inner liners 18and 19 being left intact. The resulting structure is strong and thetension of the liners constantly urges the wings 16 of the wedge 14outwardly. At the same time, the board is compressible to bring about asealing function in that the inner core 17 will collapse under pressurein its final sealing operation, while the uncrushed portions of thewedge body 14 remain extended to form a seal about the crushed portionof the board.

While the board 14 is shown scored along the central line 20, it mayalso be scored at other points, as illustrated at 21 and 22 and 23 and24 in Fig. 6, to provide a U-shaped portion for receiving a channel bar25 or other metal obstruction located upon a door or other frame member.In other words, the board 14 may be scored at any points along itslength so as to form channels for receiving reinforcing or supportelements such as channel bars, so that the wedge can effectively be usedirrespective of such obstructions. The score lines indicated by thenumerals 21 to 24, inclusive, may be increased by providing score linesat the upper portions of the structure shown in Fig. 6 so as to form atight fit about the channel bar or other reinforcing element of the dooror frame.

Operation In the operation of the structure, the door 11 is preferablymoved to a partially closed position, as illustrated in Fig. 2, andwhile the door is in this position, the wedge members 14 are extended inposition so as to lie between the door and the adjacent frame. While Ihave shown the wedge in the lower, transverse position, it will beunderstood that similar wedges are extended between the side edges ofthe door and the adjacent frame. By employing a compressible wedge, itis found that the wedge may be inserted into position with the point 15extending through the opening while thewings retain the wedge inposition, and such insertion into position may be accomplished eitherfrom the inside of the door or from the outside. In other words, theoperator can compress the wings 16 together so that they clear the spacebetween the door and the frame, and after the wedge is inside, canrelease them to leave them in the position shown in Fig. 2, After thewedges are in position so as to cover the bottom transverse edge of thedoor and also the side edges of the door, the door may be moved toclosed position to effect the seal, as shownin Fig. 3. In this position,the immediate portions of the wedge engaging the door and frame arecompressed, and their inner core portions yield under such pressure,while the adjacent portions of the wedge which are not undercompression, remain in their expanded condition so that a very tightseal is formed, preventing escape of fine granular or flowing material.In spite of irregularities, bends, and notches in the frame and door, itis found that the wedge structure provides a highly effective seal,while at the same time the wedge, by reason of its spring arms, can bereadily inserted in position and will remain in position by reason ofits springy characteristic while the operator effects the final closingof the door.

While the sealing wedge is illustrated herein in con nection with aspecific form of structure, it will be understood that such a wedge,with its point and spring wings, may be utilized as effectively in thesealing of other types of closures, etc.

While, in the foregoing specification, I have set forth a specificstructure in considerable detail for the purpose of illustratingembodiments of the invention, it will be understood that such detailsmay be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a drop-bottom car adapted for the handling ofgranular commodities, said car having a stationary door frame panel, apair of side walls, and a hinged door panel cooperating therewith toform a downwardly-directed, bottom-openable V-shaped chamber, anelongated sealing wedge member having a compressible core includedbetween outer liners, the core being compressed along a longitudinalline to form a pair of wings disposed in V relation, said compressedcore and outer liner cooperating to resiliently urge said wings apart,said wedge member having its V-point extending downwardly and outwardlybetween said panels and removably lodged therebetween.

2. The structure of claim 1, in which the said wedge member is formed ofcorrugated paper with the flutes thereof running transversely of thewedge.

3. in combination with a drop-bottom car adapted for the handling ofgranular commodities, said car having a hopper defined by a stationarydoor frame panel, generally triangular side walls, and a hinged doorpanel I cooperating therewith to form a downwardly-directed,

bottom-openable V-shaped chamber, the inner face of said door paneladapted to abut an edge of said frame panel, an elongated sealing wedgemember formed of corrugated board having inner and outer'liners and acrushable core therebetween with the flutes thereof running transverselyof the wedge, the core being compressed along a longitudinal line toform a pair of wings disposed in a V relation and resiliently urgedapart, said wedge member having its V-point extending outwardlydownwardly between said panels and removably lodged therebetween andwith one of said wings bearing against the inside face of the said doorpanel.

References fitted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS513,302 Canda Ian. 23, 1894 936,235 Clay Oct. 5, 1909 1,014,768 MeissnerJan. 16, 1912 1,882,186 Hankins M Oct. 11, 1932 1,955,868 Wine Apr. 24,1934 2,602,402 Sanford, Jr. et al. July 8, 1952 2,608,728 MontgomerySept. 2, 1952 2,756,468 Bright July 31, 1956 2,778,072 Palisca Jan. 22,1957

